Eye set for dolls



D86. 18, 1934. N. POPOVICHI 1,984,654

EYE SET FOR DOLLS Filed Aug. 5, 1953 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 inertia UNITE o STATES; e-Arsu T" OFF'QE This invention relates in general to eye sets for dolls and artificial figures, including eye: members which are mounted within the. head of a doll or the like to rotate in eye openings or sockets and simulate natural movement of the eyes as in opening and closing thereof; More particularly the invention relatesto eye sets-of this character which comprise a supporting means or bar which issecured in the doll head adjacent-the eye opening and on which" are mounted eye members and means for holding and rotating them in the eye sockets or openings.

Difli'culty has been encountered heretofore in attaching glass eyeballs'to'mountings, especially because the eyeballs easily cracls'or chip and cannot be bent, or penetratedwith fasteners; but glass eye members are preferable to eye members formed of othermaterial because the glass eyeballs more closely simulate the natural or anatomical eye and can be more easily made.

One object of 'my invention'is to provide a novel and improved simple and inexpensive glass eyeball mounting including a'spherical glass'eyeball and a split metal clip embracing theeyeball and having an' integral lateral or radial ex tension for connecting the clip to a pivot rodfor rotatably mounting'theeyeballs on a supporting bar.

Another object is toprovide such a glass eyeball mounting wherein said clip shall comprise a split ring to embrace or surround-an eyeball and having integral lateral extensions at its ends for 'both' securing said ends together and attaching the clip to a pivot rod, wherebythe attachment' of a glass eyeball to apivot roclshall be simple, and inexpensive, reliableand durable.

Other objects are to provide an eye set wherein said; lateral. endsof said. clip shall cooperateto forma polygonalsocket which opensrradially of the clip and slidably receives the polygonalend of a pivot rod, whereby said clipshall be-slid-- able longitudinally of the pivot rod. to' permit; lateral adjustment of the eyeballs. in the eye sockets in a doll head, and'said. clip and. eyeballs shall rotatewith the pivot rodto simulate-enemingand. closingof the'eyes; and toobtain other. advantages and results as will be brought out by-thefollowing description. I

Referring to the accompanying. drawing in, which. corresponding and like partsi-are designated throughout the several views by, the same reference characters.

Figure l is: a. rear elevation-of. an; eye; set em- EYE SET FOR DOLLS Nicholas Popovich, Teaneck, N'. J':,, assignor of one-third to Joseph A. Taferner and one-third to Leo J. Schlitzer, both of-New York, N. Y;

5-- Claims. (01. 46-40) Figure 1..

for supporting. an eyeball.

attaching: it to an eyeball.

eyeball and clip.

bar: 4;.

bodying: my invention, showing it: in a doll head whiche-iscillustiated in vertical section.

' EigurerZi-is axtransverse vertical sectional view on:.the 1i'ne-.2'2-1 of Figure 1.

Figure 3'2 is: a horizontal sectional view partially. in side elevation, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4:- is a detached composite perspective view 'of. the. pivot member and cheer the clips Figure 5 is' a perspective view of one of the clips, showing it in the condition preparatory to Figure dis a front elevation of the assembled Figures? is arear elevation thereof, and Figure: 8' is a. transverse sectional .view on the Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the: invention the reference characterA designates a doll head .of known construction whichisiormed of penetrable material and has the usual eye socketsB" in the face portion thereof. In. sachet the eye-sockets is arranged. an eye member: 1. mounted to rotate to simulate opening'and'closing of theeyes, these eyemembers being: mounted on a pivot member or rod 2=whichiisx in1turnpivotally mounted in a bracket 3 which is secured'on a supporting member or The" supporting bar 4 described and claimed in: my copending application SerialNo. 672,116 isrshown' in: the form oida-fiat strip of ductile metal: having end sections 5 whichare provided with integral prongs '6' forpenetrating the material of the doll head. The end sections 5 are connected by an extensible intermediate or central section 7 which consists of a plurality of sinuous. rod-like structures each substantially uniform int cross section throughout its length andcinoluding a plurality of alternately reversely curvedorangularly disposed portions which can be elongated. or extended and partially straightenedi-by exerting'pressure on the end sections 5 tending to separate them. Preferably the sinuous; sections 7 merge into each other integrally at their ends and at spaced intermediate points 70-along the longitudinal median line of the bar. The end sections 5 are formed with shoulders 8 eaoh'inopposed and alined relation to one prong 6 to form abearing point or abutment for a tool for exerting tension on the end sections. supporting bar is normally of a length less than The the distancebetween the opposite side walls of plying the supporting bar to the doll head, tension is exerted on the end sections 5 so as to pull them apart, elongate the bar and drive the prongs 6 into the walls of the doll head as shown in Figure 1. The shoulders 8 enable pressure to be applied to the prongs 6 in direct line with the prongs and uniformly on all prongs to avoid twisting of the end sections as the prongs are driven into the doll head. Obviously, the .bar will be located adjacent the eye sockets B and in approximately equidistantly spaced relation from each of the eye sockets.

The bracket 3 for supporting the pivot member 2, is also described and claimed in my said copending application Serial No. 672,116' and comprises a single strip of resilient sheet metalwhich is folded on itself and provided with a reentrant groove 9 at the fold. The free extremities of the strip are disposed in approximately parallel relation and have grooves 10 to receive the central sections 7 of the supporting bar, and notches 100 to straddleone lofthe junctions 70 of the sinuous sections. The bracket is attached to the supporting bar by inserting the free ends of the strip between thesinuous sections before the bar is elongated, one sinuous section being arranged in the groove 10 of each end and the notches 100 straddling one of the junctions 70; and as the supporting bar is elongated during inserting thereof into the doll head, the sinuous sections are drawn together into the grooves 10 so as to firmly clamp the endsof the bracket strip between them as shown .in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. The bracket 3 is formed with a slot 12 which extends transversely of the groove 9; and the bracket 3 also has a spring tongue 11 integral therewith and looped outwardly therefrom with its free end extending through said slot 12 transversely of the groove 9.

The reentrant groove 9 of the bracket serves as a bearing for the pivot member 2which is shown in the form of a rod having its end portions flattened or polygonal in cross section as indicated at 13 and disposed in axial alinement with each other, and the pivot rod 2 is inserted into the groove 9 with the spring tongue 11 behind the rod and tending to influence it outwardly of the groove. 1 The fiat ends of the pivot rod slidably support'the eye members 1..

An eyeball 14 consisting of a hollow sphere preferably formed of glass has on its spherical surface the representation of a pupil and iris as indicated at 15. The eyeball 14 is mounted on the pivot rod 2 by a clamp 16 which is .in the form of a metal split ring which includes two sections 17 each constituting a segment of a hollow sphere of the same diameter as the eyeball 14. The ends of the split ring 16 are provided with lateral extensions 18 and 19 which are channel shaped and adapted to nest one with the other with their channels facing each other, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. The flanges of one of the lateral extensions, inthe present instance the extension 18, are wider than the flanges of the other extension 19 and are bent over the extension 19, as indicated at 20 for connecting the extensions together. When the lateral extensions 18 and 19 are connected together as shown in Figure 4 they form between them a socket 21 which extends radially of the clip to slidably receive one polygonal end 13 of the pivot rod 2. The clip 16 is preferably formed of one piece of metal and the two sections 17 may be sprung into angular relation to each other, as shown in Figure 5, by bending of the metal at the juncture 22 of the two sections 17.

In assembling the eyeball and clip, the two sections 17 of the clip are sprung apart as shown in Figure 5, after which the eyeball 14 is set between the sections and the sections are drawn together to embrace the eyeball. Due to the spherical configuration of the sections 17, said sections will snugly conform to the eyeball to firmly clamp the latter. The lateral extensions yl8 to 19 are brought into nested relation, after which the flanges 20 of the extension 18 are bent over the extension 19 to secure the ends of the clip together and secure the clip around the eyeball.

In mounting the eye member in a doll head, each end 13 of the pivot rod 2 is slipped into the socket '21 of one of the eye members, it being understood that the socket and polygonal end 13 are of such dimensions that the eye member may slide longitudinally of the pivotrod in both directions. The bracket 3 is then attached to the supporting bar 4 and the pivot rod is slipped into the groove 9 of the bracket. Thereafter, the eye, members are set in the eye sockets B and the supporting bar is secured in the head. The spring. tongue 11 yieldingly influences the eye members into the eye sockets and the longitudinal sliding of the clips 16 on the pivot rod permits the eyeballs to adjust themselves to various distances between the eye sockets.

The pivotrod 2 has the usual pendulum arm 24 connected thereto for rotating the eyeballs by action of gravity so as to move the eyeballs and the eye sockets into aposition to simulate closing of the eyes when the doll is laid horizontally. The pendulum arm is provided with an extension 25 which abuts the spring tongue 11 to limit swinging movement of the pivot rod in the direction to rotate the eye members into open-eye position, the spring tongue 11 thus serving as a shock absorber or buffer.

Preferably, eyelashes 26 are secured to the eyeball 14 above the representation of the pupil and iris, andthe upper section 17 of the clip overlies the lashes and may be suitably colored to simulate an eyelid.

WhileI have shown and described my invention as embodied in certain details of construction it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in other details of construction without ,departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

I 1. An eye member for dolls comprising a substantially spherical eyeball and a clip in the form of a split ring embracing said eyeball and having channel shaped lateral extensions at its ends ,with their channels facing each other to form a socket between them to receive a member for mounting the eye member in a doll head, the flanges of said channel shaped extensions being directly interlocked together to secure said clip around the eyeball.

2. An eye member for dolls comprising a substantially spherical eyeball and a clip in the form of a split ring embracing said eyeball and having lateral extensions at its ends formed with inter-engaging portions for directly connecting said extensions together to secure the clip on the eyeball and forming between them a socket to receive a member for mounting the eye member in a doll head.

3. In an eye mounting, a supporting means to be secured in a doll head, a pair of eye members and a pivot member having polygonal ends for mounting said eye members on said supporting means, each eye member comprising a substan- 5 tially spherical eyeball and a clip in the form of a split ring embracing said eyeball and having lateral extensions at its ends that are channel shaped and disposed one within the other with their channels facing each other to form a polygonal socket between them which slidably receives one end of the pivot rod, the flanges of one of said extensions being bent over the other extension to connect said extensions together.

4. An eye member for dolls comprising a substantially spherical eyeball and a clip in the form of a split ring embracing said eyeball and having lateral extensions at its ends connected together to secure said clip around the eyeball and forming between them a socket to receive a member for mounting the eye member in a doll head, said lateral extensions being channel shaped and disposed one within the other with their channels facing each other to form a socket between them, and the flanges of one of said extensions being bent over the other extension to connect said extensions together.

5. An eye member for dolls comprising a substantially spherical eyeball and a clip in the form of a split ring embracing said eyeball and having lateral extensions at its ends, said extensions being channel shaped and disposed one within the other with their channels facing each other to form a socket between them to receive a member for mounting the eye member in a doll head and said extensions interlocking with each other to connect the ends of said clip together.

NICHOLAS POPOVICH. 

